RS232 Connectors-Why oh why?!

[dannybgoode]

Why oh why is equipment being sold in 2017 still shipping with RS232 leads.

Just had delivered an SW AZ EQ6 GT and the autoguide lead terminates at the computer end in an RS232.

I haven't seen a computer spec'd with a 232 or for about 15 years! Why persist, why not just ship with a USB lead.

They do the same in ham radio to be fair but why I don't know

/rant over

[cfpendock]

A very good question.  I mean now, in 2017, and frankly for the last five years at least.

Chris

[JOC]

dannybgoode - I thought the same when I looked at mine for the SynScan too  Mind you early model Garmin GPS units also have the same problem.  My SynScan also doesn't have a separate connection for mains power and in order to plug it in for power you have to go via the telescope mount!!  

[Cornelius Varley]

RS232 is far more stable than usb connections and is still an industry standard. Simply put, it works.

[JimT]

No problem when you have a  RS232 female to USB lead ;), and yes I understand it is archaic

Jim

[JOC]

JimT - that's what I had to get for my Garmin!

[michaelmorris]

Given the choice between RS232 and USB for use at the telescope, I would choose RS232 every time.  It doesn't come out; it doesn't suffer from poor connections in damp conditions; and it doesn't constantly try to reassign itself to different COMs ports.  I would say that >50% of all the technical problems I have with astroimaging turns out to be a problem with a USB lead, hub or driver.

[dannybgoode]

I understand stability of connector etc but it is somewhat reliant on whatever you're connecting it to having an RS232 port to plug it in to which very few desktop pc's have and even fewer laptops.

So you end up with an ftdi cable which introduces more potential failure points and more tech issues-particularly as people end up skimping on them and buying some cheap Prolific clone which then does not work.

Bear in mind very few mounts have a 232 port-usually some kind of RJ plug, it's only the computer end that terminates in the 232 so makes very little sense.

[JimT]

3 minutes ago, dannybgoode said:

people end up skimping on them and buying some cheap Prolific clone which then does not work.

Am sorry to say that my very cheap Prolific clone has given me very good service the last six years, it has not let me down once.

Jim

[SilverAstro]

I would turn the OP on its head : *

Why oh why cant we have RS232, serial & parallel ports on computals (mahbe even a Tube?!) in 2017 ( a couple of months ago I bought 2 'refurbisheds', a laptop and a desktop, cos they both had serial ports and Vista Well, I want to remain up to date !! )

* the Original Post, not the Original Poster 

 

9 minutes ago, dannybgoode said:

 end up skimping on them and buying some cheap Prolific clone which then does not work.

Was going to say similar. But if 'other' chips were not overpriced there would have been no need for the Prolifics et al  !! Not to mention the idiot protectionism

 

 

[Toxophilus]

2 minutes ago, JimT said:

Am sorry to say that my very cheap Prolific clone has given me very good service the last six years, it has not let me down once.

Jim

Don't install windows 10 then as it will no longer work with the older usb to serial chipsets.

On the up side of using a serial port is that it will still work with my 386sx 25 LOL

[JimT]

Just now, Toxophilus said:

Don't install windows 10 then as it will no longer work with the older usb to serial chipsets.

Win 10 will be coming nowhere near any of my PC's    

[SilverAstro]

1 minute ago, JimT said:

Win 10 will be coming nowhere near any of my PC's    

 

[Davey-T]

RS232 is a standardised system easily diagnosed unlike USB  which languished around unloved for years before becoming flavour of the month and is prey to all manner of conflicts.

Don't buy a new MacBook Pro they haven't even got USB sockets 

Dave

[Gina]

What on earth have they go then???  My now rather ancient MacBook Pro has USB ports.  It's beginning to show signs of going wrong though so might be replacing it with a Linux laptop before long.  Been meaning to upgrade it to Linux Mint (as I hate OSX) for some time but while it works I haven't bothered.  I only use it for browsing and email.

Back on topic, I have had no end of trouble with USB - I hate it.  I'm on the point of going over to the Raspberry Pi for my imaging and mount control and was going to use USB plus USB-serial cable but as I'm also looking into modifying INDI drivers for my own uses, I may be able to avoid the USB-serial adapter and use serial directly from the GPIO.

[Uranium235]

The lead you are talking about isnt actually the autoguide cable, its primary purpose is for updating the handset firmware. The only other use it has for me is connecting to stellarium for goto functions. All my guiding is done via the ST4 port.

[dannybgoode]

6 minutes ago, Uranium235 said:

The lead you are talking about isnt actually the autoguide cable, its primary purpose is for updating the handset firmware. The only other use it has for me is connecting to stellarium for goto functions. All my guiding is done via the ST4 port.

Apologies-this is what I mean meant-eqmod control etc not airtightness autoguiding at all. 

I have never had an issue with usb-ever.

[JimT]

13 minutes ago, Uranium235 said:

The lead you are talking about isnt actually the autoguide cable, its primary purpose is for updating the handset firmware. The only other use it has for me is connecting to stellarium for goto functions. All my guiding is done via the ST4 port.

I have had no end of trouble with the USB so to eliminate as many problems with it I have bought a number of PC's very cheaply, one is used just for Stellarium as Uranium has done and split the rest of the USB items between the other two to PC's to ensure no overload, so far so good.

Jim

[Roy Challen]

2 hours ago, Cornelius Varley said:

Simply put, it works.

So do steam engines, and spears, and......

[Cornelius Varley]

45 minutes ago, Roy Challen said:

So do steam engines, and spears, and......

And nothing wrong with either.

[StuartJPP]

Because in a few year's time when the manufacturers can't be bothered to write a new driver for your expensive mount compatible with the fresh OS that has just shipped, you will wish it used RS232.

RS232 will always be usable. In fact you can easily connect your RS232 device to an Arduino and drive it yourself. I can't see that ever happening if they have a closed source/proprietary  USB device type.

The only negative about RS232 is that you always get TX & RX wrong at least once...but luckily (unlike most of today's stuff) if you do get it wrong it doesn't burn down your house or have any other ill effects.

[michael8554]

7 hours ago, Roy Challen said:

So do steam engines, and spears, and......

 Steam engines and spears have been superceeded by replacements that work reliably.

USB doesn't.....

Michael

[Alien 13]

Steam engines still make up a huge proportion of all generated power although they are called turbines these days.

Alan

[Roy Challen]

6 hours ago, Alien 13 said:

Steam engines still make up a huge proportion of all generated power although they are called turbines these days.

Alan

Steam engines and turbines are not the same thing. A turbine can use steam, water, gas or any other fluid to cause it to rotate. A good example is the jet engine.

But I do agree that steam is used for power generation by the majority of power stations around the world.

Back to the USB issue though. What is so unreliable about them? Can't say I've ever had a problem.

[dannybgoode]

16 minutes ago, Roy Challen said:

 

Back to the USB issue though. What is so unreliable about them? Can't say I've ever had a problem.

Agree, as a ham radio operator I can have 8 devices all hooked up by usb all controlling various rig functions, sound inputs and outputs, data in out etc on top of the usual printer, keyboard, mouse etc so in excess of 10 devices. 

Never had a problem. I shudder to think of trying to do the same with RS232.